New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Sixteen historical monuments in the country are being conserved by the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the Lok Sabha was informed Wednesday.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy said that more PSUs have expressed their willingness to conserve monuments and places of historical importance in the country.
He said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which takes care of over 3,000 historical monuments in the country, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with state-run companies under the National Culture Fund scheme.
In 2010, the ASI signed an MoU with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation to take care of Ahom monuments in Assam. The oil exploration company shells out Rs.30 lakh for their conservation.
Similarly, the State Bank of India takes care of Hazardwari Palace in West Bengal. The bank spends Rs.75 lakh on its upkeep.
The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) conserves a group of monuments at Mandu in Madhya Pradesh, a group of temples in Jageshwar in Uttarakhand and an archaeological site at Lalitgiri in Orissa.
Narayanasamy said the Indian Oil Foundation also takes care of five sites in different parts of the country and spends Rs.25 crore on their upkeep.
